4 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

Those dangers you mention, I assume as a white westerner you'd be a target for armed muggers etc? 

 

Or a lynching, oddly enough.  What happened to those French tourists in 2013 sounds terrifying.

On 1/14/2022 at 10:28 PM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Mogadishu

Just don’t leave your fortified taxi and hotel …..????

I have a feeling that the DR is the winner here.

On 1/15/2022 at 4:33 AM, Kinnock said:

Sri Lanka.

 

Looks like you only need proof of vaccination plus complete an entry.  I've not tried it, but was just looking at their web site.

 

 

I visited there once and swore never to go back again. Hotel reception advised me not to go out at night for fear of something bad happening to me. Boring and far too many con men around.

Perhaps it's changed, but I'll never go to find out.

22 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I visited there once and swore never to go back again. Hotel reception advised me not to go out at night for fear of something bad happening to me. Boring and far too many con men around.

Perhaps it's changed, but I'll never go to find out.

I had a very different experience.  Friendly people, good beaches, interesting places to visit - especially Kandy using the mountain railroad that winds through the tea plantations.  It's like 'India-lite'.  

 

Just avoid Colombo, and it's safe.

Just now, Kinnock said:

I had a very different experience.  Friendly people, good beaches, interesting places to visit - especially Kandy using the mountain railroad that winds through the tea plantations.  It's like 'India-lite'.  

 

Just avoid Colombo, and it's safe.

I stayed at Bentota, in the "tourist special zone" where I was told not to go out at night.

Nothing to go out for anyway, as no night life at all.

Perhaps it's changed.

Every time I went on the beach I had some guy try and get me to go to see the "baby elephant" except it was a shop and no elephant baby or otherwise to be seen.

I won't go into the derelict train I almost went on to Hikudawa ( took a taxi instead and feared for my life the driver was so bad ), dodgy stuff I was sold or how I was in fear of my life ( during the day ) from a gang, but I soon worked out that Thailand was the far, far better option, and spent my entire week wishing I was in LOS.

9 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I stayed at Bentota, in the "tourist special zone" where I was told not to go out at night.

Nothing to go out for anyway, as no night life at all.

Perhaps it's changed.

Every time I went on the beach I had some guy try and get me to go to see the "baby elephant" except it was a shop and no elephant baby or otherwise to be seen.

I won't go into the derelict train I almost went on to Hikudawa ( took a taxi instead and feared for my life the driver was so bad ), dodgy stuff I was sold or how I was in fear of my life ( during the day ) from a gang, but I soon worked out that Thailand was the far, far better option, and spent my entire week wishing I was in LOS.

Staggered by the sheer number of rank & dangerous <deleted>holes seriously recommended here…..Sri Lanka, Mexico, Columbia, Jamaica …..

An off topic troll / racist post has been removed

17 hours ago, TropicalGuy said:

Staggered by the sheer number of rank & dangerous <deleted>holes seriously recommended here…..Sri Lanka, Mexico, Columbia, Jamaica …..

Makes you appreciate how relatively safe Thailand is despite all the poverty

On 1/15/2022 at 12:09 PM, CG1 Blue said:

I'd like to go to Jamaica, but it's always had a reputation of being dangerous anywhere outside the resort you're staying at. Or is that a dated view? 

For sure there are places where you should not go, but if you ask the hotel-guys, they will tell you where it's save and where not

1 hour ago, CG1 Blue said:

Makes you appreciate how relatively safe Thailand is despite all the poverty

“Safe” being my first criteria here then Cheap, Warm , Friendly

On 1/15/2022 at 9:40 PM, RichardColeman said:

27th bye bp, hello bkk aq, then some serious porking of the wife

Good news. Have a good trip and enjoy the warmth and love from your wife. I'm flying out of the UK tomorrow and have "test & go" in BKK. Can't wait to leave the freezing island of the UK.

 

On the safety issue in the Americas (North/Central/South), you simply need to pay more attention to specifically WHERE you are visiting. Do some basic research, talk to people when you land, and you will be "safe" within a level of risk that most people other than perhaps the Swiss can accept. 

 

I initially suggested Cartagena Colombia as it seemed to ring most of the bells the OP wanted to ring. But Cartagena is not the safest (nor nearly the most dangerous) city in Colombia. It's a place where you need to avoid dodgy areas (not rocket science to do). There are other areas in Colombia (and Mexico, etc.) which are more overall acceptably safe (though any big city has sketchy districts). Violent crime risk of course isn't the only safety risk in travel. Consider Thailand's traffic safety issues, among the worst on the planet.

 

To add, not to be the spelling police, but it's ColOmbia, NOT ColUmbia, Kay? 

Come on …. those entire countries must be considered Unsafe. With constant shifting of good to bad areas. If you must indulge in Latin American, go somewhere Safe like Costa Rica or Uruguay or Chile .

On 1/15/2022 at 12:31 AM, RichardColeman said:

But OK if you like chips, weed, beer and fat uneducated women

What else do you need?

3 minutes ago, TropicalGuy said:

Come on …. those entire countries must be considered Unsafe. With constant shifting of good to bad areas. If you must indulge in Latin American, go somewhere Safe like Costa Rica or Uruguay or Chile .

Exactly, why wouldn't you just come to Thailand?

12 minutes ago, TropicalGuy said:

Come on …. those entire countries must be considered Unsafe. With constant shifting of good to bad areas. If you must indulge in Latin American, go somewhere Safe like Costa Rica or Uruguay or Chile .

You're wrong. Is all of the USA unsafe then or even all of Chicago? Is there no crime risk in parts of CR, Uruguay, and Chile then?

Speaking as someone who was mugged in Rio so I'm no Pollyanna on this topic. 

Mexico for example. I wouldn't book a vacation in Tijuana but wouldn't bat an eye traveling to Puerto Vallarta. 

1 minute ago, FruitPudding said:

Exactly, why wouldn't you just come to Thailand?

Too much hassle!

 

1 hour ago, FruitPudding said:

Exactly, why wouldn't you just come to Thailand?

I'd agree, but only when Thailand scraps Covid testing on arrival (+ expensive quarantine if positive) and scraps the Thailand Pass, and when they stop strangling the nightlife sector. 

If this ever happens then Thailand would be the automatic choice